Rep. Peter Cownie: Return Some DNR-Owned Land to Private Ownership

By Rep. Peter Cownie

The Department of Natural Resources controls approximately 360,000 acres of land in Iowa. The land is broken up in various ways: state parks, hunting and fishing land, bequeathed land and farm land.

House File 2434 stated that the DNR sell $20 million of this land. This provision has created a controversy with conservation groups and many Iowans. 

I am a supporter of public land for Iowans to enjoy recreationally. This is important. This is a quality of life issue and we have beautiful land that is ripe for hunting, fishing, biking, canoeing, and countless other activities. However, there are several policy questions regarding state owned lands that I feel should be addressed. 

Do you think Iowa should sell part of its publicly owned land? Why or why not? Tell us in comments.

The central question in my mind is if it is better for an Iowan to own a piece of land or is it better for the government to own the land?

I believe, in a capitalist society it is better for an Iowan to generally own land. That Iowan will pay taxes on that land, perhaps build a home on that land, perhaps develop that ground, perhaps hold it purely for their own recreational purposes, or farm that land.

All that said, I believe there should be a happy medium for public and private lands. 

One item that I learned through this process is that, of the 360,000 acres, 10,000 acres are farmland. This is land that the DNR leases out to Iowans to farm. In return, that farmer pays the DNR.

Is this the right public policy?

I don’t know at this point. But, I do think Iowans need to weigh in on this issue to their respective legislators. Do you think the DNR should own farmland and then lease it back to Iowans? 

One item that cannot be argued is that land prices are currently at an all-time high. Is it the fiscally responsible policy to sell public lands when the prices are at an all-time high? Perhaps.

That being said, Iowa ranks 49th out of 50 states in terms of percentage of public lands. This statistic is a bit skewed in my mind as Iowa has some of the most valuable land in the world. 

However, no public lands will be sold. An amendment to House File 2434 struck that provision from the bill. A study was substituted for the department to report back to the General Assembly on the lands owned by the DNR. How much is it worth? How much of the land is hunted? Where is it? These are some of the questions that we need answered. 

This is a good thing that will lead to the Legislature forming a policy for land acquisition in Iowa. I am hopeful that both parties, conservation groups, and Iowans will come together to work on this task. There is nothing more fundamental to the future of the state of Iowa than the ground it encompasses and the legislature should have a long-term vision for our land.